Illuminated sign



Dec. 26, 1922.

E. T. R. MURRAY. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

FILED HJNE 2711922- F/G.

ELECTRJIQ SHGNS Patented Dec. 2c, 1922.

warren er FATE ETHELBERT T. RUTHVE'N MURRAY, OF HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Application filed June 2'7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETI-IELBERT THoMAs RU'rnvEN MURRAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hertfordshire, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Illuminated Signs, for which I have filed an application in England March 17, 1921, and of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminated signs of the kind comprising a plane or curved sheet of glass or other transparent material upon the surface of which. any desired device, inscription or the like is etched or cut in such a manner as to be illuminated by internal reflection within the glass, the light for this purpose being caused to enter the glass-at or adjacent to one or more of the ed es thereof.

11 important feature in the construction of a sign of this type is the arrangement whereby the lamp or lamps for illuminating the sign, which are usually of the tubular electric type, are supported and the necessary illumination of the transparent material effected, and the object of the present invention is to provide improved arrange ments for this purpose which will permit the lamp or lamps employed to be effectively utilized for general illumination, as well as for the illumination of the sign itself.

The general utility and range of application of an illuminated sign of the kind above described is thus considerably increased. In shop window lighting, for instance, the invention enables the lamps employed for illuminating the sign also to take part in the general illumination of goods in the window, and the possibility of adjusting the extent and direction of the beam of light thus avail-v able for general illumination enables this light to be effectively directed with a corresponding advantage and economy in the total amount of illumination required.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin r drawings of which Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of an illuminated sign constructed in accordance with one form of the invention.

Figure 2 being a view of the rear of the sign.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are views on an enlarged scale in end elevation, front elevation partly sectional, and sectional end elevation 1922. Serial No. 571,298.

respectively of the sign shown in Figures 1 and 2, illustrating constructional details and a modification of the support forthe glass.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that the sign itself comprises a plate of glass 1 of rectangular or other suitable shape bearing the requisite inscription or device etched or engraved thereon. The plate 1 is supported in any suitable manner but preferably as hereinafter described in contact with or attached to a flange strip or lug 2 projecting radially from a cylindrical casing 3 containing a pair of tubular lamps 4, arranged within the casing 3. The latter is of cylindrical form except that a longitudinal portion thereof is cut away so as to provide' an opening 5 extending from end to end of the casing 3, and of such transverse width as to extend through an arc of, say, 120 or any other desired are from the lug or strip 2 carrying the glass plate 1.

The casing 3 is provided at either end with a cylindrical cap or head 6 adapted to accommodate end plugs 7 of vulcanite or other suitable insulating material, in which are provided clips or sockets (not shown in the drawing) for carrying the end caps of the tubular lamps 4:, these end plugs belng also provided with suitable arrangements for effecting the necessary electrlcal connections. These arrangements may be of any desired construction, but are preferably of the character described in the specification of my prior Letters Patent No. 1,497,473.

Fitting closely within the lnterrupted cylindrical casing 3 and capable of rotation within this casing is another interrupted cylinder 8, preferably composed of metal, extending from end to end of the casing 3 and of such peripheral dimensions as to be capable of closing entirely the longitudlnal'aperture 5 in the casing 3, except for the thlckness of the glass plate 1. The cylinder 8 extends at either end within the caps or heads 6 within which it is supported and guided by the inner portion 7 of the end plugs 7, which, as shown in Flgure 4:, are of slightly reduced diameter for this purpose. The edge. of the inner cylinder 8 is provided with a projecting strip or lug 9, sim ler to the strip or lug 2 on the the outer casing 3, so that when the inner cylinder 8 is rotated to a position to close the aperture 5 1n the outer casing 3, the projecting straps or lugs 9, 2, upon the casings 8, 3 respectively are opposite to one another on opposite sides of the glass plate 1.

hen the inner cylinder 8 is in this position the whole of the light emitted b the lamps 4 within the casing will obvious y be directed into the glass plate 1 of the sign, with the result that the'latter will be very effectively illu rninated.

IV hen, on the other hand, the inner cylinder 8 is rotated to a greater or less extent so that the lug or strip 9 moves away from the glass plate 1, a longitudinal aperture of corresponding peripheral extent will obviously be formed in the lamp casing, with the result that the lamps 4 are permitted to'project a portion of their total light outwards away from the sign, thus providing a gen eral illumination for any objects in the vicinity. By "arying the position to which the inner cylinder 8 is adjusted the beam of light thus projected outwards can evidently be varied and directed as required, and it is found in practice that anextremely effective and well distributed illumination is thus obtained, owing to the internal surfaces of the casings 3, 8, which are silvered or otherwise adapted to act as reflectors enabling the whole of the light emitted. to be fully utilized.

The cylindrical casings 3, 8, are preferably each provided with suitable ventilating apertures not shown.

The efiiciency of the external illumination aboye described is increased by the disposltion of the tubular lamps 4 within the casing, which I prefer to adopt.

According to this arrangement, each of the lamps 1s so disposed that the filament thereof indicated at 10, instead of being situated at the axis of the tubular casing 3, is displaced therefrom towards the edge of the glass plate 1. The amount of this displacement fromithe axis of the casing 3 will in general be determined in accordance with the particular conditions to be met, but as an example I have found that in a casing of approximately one inch and a half in diameter a displacement of the filament from the geometrical axis of the casing of approximately one-quarter of an inch will give satisfactory results.

In order to enable the plate 1 bearing the device, inscription or the like to be readily removed and renewed or replaced by a plate bearing a different inscription or device, the plate 1 may be arranged to be attached to the lug or strip 2 of the casing 3 by means of two or more bolts 11 passing through suitable holes in the plate 1 and in the lug or strip 2, and in order to prevent any risk or injury to the plate 1 I prefer to make the hples therein substantially larger than the diameter of the bolts 11 employed, and to provlde a bushing 12 of paper or fibre or other suitable material fitting closely within .the holes in the plate 1 and closely surrounding the shank of the bolt 11. The axial length of the bushings 12 is arranged to be somewhat greater than the thickness of the plate 1 so that the head of the boltll and the milled nut 13 by means of which it is secured engage with the outer faces of the bushing 12 and thus while holding the plate 1 firmly in position prevent it from being fractured by the nut 13 being screwed up too tightly.

In cases in which-the glass plate of the sign is of considerable size, I prefer to em ploy the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4, in whichpthe plate 1 is supported in a light frame of metal or other suitable material, this frame consisting of a base member 14 of channel or U-section connected to the casing 3 of the sign by side members 15 which are of flat or rectangular section. In this construction the ends of the lug or strip 2 formed on or attached to the casing 3 arebent as indicated at 15 so as to clip or embrace the edges of the plate 1 which is placed in position in the frame by inserting its upper edge within the clips 15 formed at each end of the lug 2 and allowing the lower edge of the plate 1 to move down so as to rest within the channel or U-section of the base member 14 'of the frame.

i In order to enhance the uniformity of illumination of the inscription or device of the sign the glass plate 1 is provided with arrangements for reflecting the light which would otherwise pass out of those edges of the plate which are not directly illuminated by the lamps 4. This may be effected by silvering these edges, or by providing strips of mirror in contact with the edges, the effect in both cases being to reflect the light which would otherwise pass out of the edges of the plate and cause this light to be returned for internal reflection.

In some cases, the strips of mirror may be constituted by the plated or polished inner surfaces of the supporting frame-work 14, 15, above referred to, and by suitably curving the internal surfaces of these members of the frame the light-reflected therefrom may be concentrated and returned, thus considerably improving the uniformity of illumination.

In cases in which a colour effect is desired, a strip of glass or other transparent material suitably stained or otherwise coloured may be provided extending along one or more edges of the glass plate 1, through wh ch the light is admitted to the plate either directly or by reflection.

The sign may be suspended from the cylindrical casing 3 or may be supported thereby, and in the former case the end caps 6 may be provided with suitable suspension eyes or loops as indicated at 16. In order to enable either arrangement to be adopted as desired an adjustable support may be provided at each end of the casing 3. These supports consists of a clip adapted to surround completely or engage with the outer surfaceof the end caps 6 of the casing'and a projection or lug attached to or forming part of the clip which serves as a foot when the sign is supported upon the casing as a base, or as a suspension element when the sign is suspended. The angular position of these supports relative to the plate 1 of the sign can be adjusted so that the sign may be supported in any desired position.

Any or all of the constructional details above described may evidently be considerably modified without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an illuminated sign the combination of a body of transparent material having an indication upon its surface, a. hollow casing extending along one edge of said body and having a longitudinal opening adjacent to said edge, means for varying the transverse width of said opening and a linear source of light rays arranged longitudinally I within said casing.

2. In a illuminated sign the combination of a sheet of transparent material having an indication etched upon the surface thereof, a cylindrical casing extending along one edge'of said sheet and secured thereto and having a longitudinal opening therein .adj acent to said sheet, a second cylindrical casing arranged co-axially within said first casing and rotatable relative thereto to vary the transverse width of said longitudinal aperture and a linear source of light rays longitudinally arranged within said inner cas- 3. In an illuminated sign the combination of a sheet of transparent material having an indication etched upon the surface thereof, a cylindrical casing extending along one edge of said sheet and secured thereto and having a longitudinal opening therein adjacent to said sheet, a second cylindrical casing arranged co-axially within said first casing and rotatable relative thereto and a linear source of light arranged longitudinally within said inner casing but displaced transversely from the axis thereof towards the edge of said sheet;

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

E. T. RUTHVEN RAY. 

